Yemen al-Houthi wants to take part in national dialogue

Chiara Onassis | 23 April 2012

SANA’A: In yet another shift in its position, al-Houthis, a group of Shia rebels, which seeks a break from the republic and a return to the ancestral rule of the imams, announced on Monday that it wished after all to take part in Yemen up and coming national dialogue.

The event, which is being overlooked by the Joint Meeting Parties, is meant to gather all of Yemen’s political factions and groups to enable the nation to have a comprehensive dialogue, aiming at bringing back political harmony in Yemen and finding common solutions to the country’s main issues.

At first, Sheikh Abdel Malek al-Houthi, the group leader told Bikyamasr.com that since he was still opposing the GCC brokered agreement which saw the departure of President Ali Abdullah Saleh from power he had no intention in participating in the exercise saying he would follow his own agenda.

 “The group, which is seeking to transfer its claims directly onto Yemen’s political arena by setting up a political party of its own, eventually decided to join in, hoping to position itself at the heart of the debate and defend its point of view against al-Islah [Yemen’ Sunni Islamic faction],” said Ahmed al-Sofi a political analyst in Sana’a.

Al-Houthis, whose militants are believed to be financed by Iran, have used Yemen’s power vacuum to its advantage, having gained control over three northern provinces, Sa’ada, Hajjah and al-Jawf, making Saudi officials extremely nervous as they fear, Teheran’s agenda lies will soon come knock in its southern borders.